Shield for wall switches



April 7,1953 E. J. HAGEN SHIELD FOR WALL SWITCHES Filed Aug. 22, 1949 Patented Apr. 7, 1953 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHIELD FOR WALL SWITCHES Elsie J. Hagen, Berwyn, Ill.

Application August 22, 1949, Serial No. 111,687

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a shield for wall switches and concerns itself with a structure that will not warp, that is structurally strong and that will possess a bracing effect against a wall thru the pressure applied by the switch plate which is superimposed over a portion of the shield, so as to present an unbroken appearance with respect to the wall.

It is an object of this invention to so construct the wall switch shield that it will not warp and will cling to the wall at its edges with a bracing effect when held only by the switch plate and without any other securing means.

The invention comprises the novel structure and combination of parts hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out and defined in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawing which illustrates a preferred form of this invention and in which similar reference numeral refer to similar features in the different views:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a shield involving this invention,

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken upon the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows and Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken upon the line 33 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

In referring now to the drawing, there is shown a wall shield 4 which may be made of any suitable material such as styrene for example which can be molded so as to produce a structure having the desired strengthening features. In the present instance, the shield 4 is molded to provide a sunken portion 5 with sloping sides 6 and sloping ends 1. The sloping portions 6 and 1 terminate in straight ledges 8 for supporting a switch in the sunken portion.

The margin around the sunken portion is transversely curved for strengthening purposes and to provide a wall contact bead at the rear face of the shield. This margin is formed by the side margins 9 which are transversely curved in crosssection toward the rear face of the shield where they terminate in wall contact beads In which lie in a plane spaced a short distance rearwardly of the ledges 8 as shown in Fig. 3. It will be noted that the curved margins 9 which extend from the sloping sides of the sunken portion form a substantial are which serves as a strengthening feature of the shield and at the same time provides a suitable yield against a wall. The end portions of the side margins 9also curve or slope toward the rear as indicated at 9a in longitudinal directions.

In addition to the side margins 9, the complete margin specified includes the end margins II which may be said to extend between the side margins and slightly beyond the ends of the side margins as shown in Figs. 1 and 2; the end curvature of the side margins is indicated at 6a in Fig. 2 and it will be noted that the same is slightly within the curvatures Ia of the end margins l l which likewise curve rearwardly to form wall contact beads It in the same plane as the beads on the side margins, The end margins may be provided with a lattice effect as shown for ornamental purposes.

The wall shield is open between the ledges 6 as indicated at l2 so that when the switch is placed in the sunken portion of the shield with the same against a wall, the attaching screws or studs will extend thru the opening and the shield will be firmly clamped against the wall, the margin around the sunken portion yielding sufficiently for such purpose and for applying a tight clamping, or bracing action with respect to the wall. Thus no securing means other than the wall switch is required to maintain the shield in close contact with the supporting wall which overcomes to a large degree the usual broken efiect. A neat and ornamental appearance is hence provided thru the particular construction.

It will be appreciated that the shield is particularly light, yet its construction is such that it is sufficiently strong and provides the necessary yield to cause it to have a clinging effect upon a wall so that it can be wiped with a cloth without distorting the corners or edges.

I am aware that many changes may be made and various details of construction may be modified without departing from the principles of this invention so I do not propose limiting the patent granted otherwise than necessitated by the appended claim.

I claim:

In a shield for a wall switch, a rectangular member having a central sunken portion with an opening and a planar ledge surrounding said opening adapted for laterally supporting a wall switch plate, said shield being imperforate beyond said opening, said shield having yieldable lateral and end margins transversely curved in a rearward direction from the plane of said ledge and defining wall contacting beads in a plane spaced slightly rearwardly from the plane of said ledge and adapted for yielding clamping engagement with the wall when a switch plate i positioned against said ledge and fastened to the wall.

ELSIE J. HAGEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date D. 137,966 Kessler May 23, 1944 D. 141,371 Gits et a1 May 29, 1945 D. 141,392 Gits et al May 29, 1945 1,796,226 Tombler Mar. 10, 1931 

